(a) General. Continuing education requirements for recertification shall be fulfilled during each biennial renewal period beginning on the first day of the month following each MRT's, LMRT's, or NCT's birth month and ending on the last day of each MRT's, LMRT's, or NCT's birth month two years thereafter.   (1) An MRT must complete 24 hours of continuing education acceptable to the department during each biennial renewal period.   (2) An LMRT must complete 12 hours of continuing education acceptable to the department during each biennial renewal period. The continuing education activities must be general radiation health and safety topics or related to the categories of limited certificate held.   (3) At least 3 hours of the required number of hours shall be satisfied by attendance and participation in instructor-directed activities.   (4) No more than 21 hours for MRTs or 9 hours for LMRTs of the required number of hours may be satisfied through verifiable independent self-study. These activities include reading materials, audio materials, audiovisual materials, or a combination thereof which meet the requirements set out in subsection (d) of this section.   (5) An MRT or LMRT who also holds a current Texas license/registration/certification in another health profession may satisfy the continuing education requirement for renewal of the MRT or LMRT with hours counted toward renewal of the other license, registration, or certification provided the hours meet all the requirements of this section.   (6) An MRT or LMRT who holds a current and active annual registration or credential card issued by the American Registry of Radiologic Technologists (ARRT) indicating that the MRT is in good standing and not on probation satisfies the continuing education requirement for renewal of the general or limited certificate provided the hours accepted by the agency or organization which issued the card were completed during the MRT's biennial renewal period and meet or exceed the requirements set out in paragraph (5) of this subsection and subsection (b) of this section. The department shall be able to verify the status of the card presented by the MRT or LMRT electronically or by other means acceptable to the department. The department may review documentation of the continuing education activities in accordance with subsection (e) of this section.   (7) An NCT must complete 6 hours of continuing education acceptable to the department during the biennial renewal period. The continuing education activities may include verifiable independent self-study of reading materials, audio materials, audiovisual materials, programs online, attendance and participation in instructor-directed activities, or a combination thereof.   (8) A contact hour shall be defined as 50 minutes of attendance and participation. One-half contact hour shall be defined as 30 minutes of attendance and participation during a 30-minute period.   (9) Persons who hold temporary certificates, either general or limited, are not subject to these continuing education requirements. (b) Content. All continuing education activities should provide for the professional growth of the technologist.   (1) At least 50% of the required number of hours must be activities which are directly related to the use and application of ionizing forms of radiation to produce diagnostic images and/or administer treatment to human beings for medical purposes. For the purpose of this section, directly related topics include, but are not limited to: radiation safety, radiation biology and radiation physics; anatomical positioning; radiographic exposure technique; radiological exposure technique; emerging imaging modality study; patient care associated with a radiologic procedure; radio pharmaceutics, pharmaceutics, and contrast media application; computer function and application in radiology; mammography applications; nuclear medicine application; and radiation therapy applications.   (2) No more than 50% of the required number of hours may be satisfied by completing or participating in learning activities which are related to the use and application of non-ionizing forms of radiation for medical purposes.   (3) No more than 50% of the required number of hours may be satisfied by completing or participating in learning activities which are indirectly related to radiologic technology. For the purpose of the section, indirectly related topics include, but are not limited to, patient care, computer science, computer literacy, introduction to computers or computer software, physics, human behavioral sciences, mathematics, communication skills, public speaking, technical writing, management, administration, accounting, ethics, adult education, medical sciences, and health sciences. Other courses may be accepted for credit provided there is a demonstrated benefit to patient care. (c) Types of acceptable continuing education. Continuing education shall be acceptable if the experience or activity is at least 30 consecutive minutes in length and:   (1) is offered for semester hour or quarter hour credit by an institution accredited by a regional accrediting organization such as the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and is directly or indirectly related to the disciplines of radiologic technology as specified in subsection (a) of this section; or   (2) is offered for continuing education credit by an institution accredited by the Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology (JRCERT), Joint Review Committee on Education in Nuclear Medicine Technology (JRCNMT), Joint Review Committee on Education in Cardiovascular Technology (JTCCVT), or the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) and is directly or indirectly related to the disciplines of radiologic technology; or   (3) is an educational activity which meets the following criteria:     (A) the content meets the requirements set out in subsection (b) of this section; and     (B) is approved, recognized, accepted, or assigned continuing education credits by professional organizations or associations, or offered by a federal, state, or local governmental entity. (d) Additional acceptable activities. The additional activities for which continuing education credit will be awarded are as follows:   (1) successful completion of an entry-level or advanced-level examination previously passed in the same discipline of radiologic technology administered by or for the ARRT during the renewal period. The examinations shall be topics dealing with ionizing forms of radiation administered to human beings for medical purposes. Such successful completion shall be limited to not more than one-half of the continuing education hours required;   (2) successful completion or recertification in a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course, basic cardiac life support course, or advanced cardiac life support course during the continuing education period. Such successful completion or recertification shall be limited to not more than:     (A) three hours credit during a renewal period for a cardiopulmonary resuscitation course or basic cardiac life support course; or     (B) 6 hours credit during a renewal period for an advanced cardiac life support course;   (3) attendance and participation in tumor conferences (limited to six hours), in-service education and training offered or sponsored by Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO)-accredited or Medicare certified hospitals, provided the education/training is properly documented and is related to the profession of radiologic technology;   (4) teaching in a program described in subsection (c) of this section with a limit of one contact hour of credit for each hour of instruction per topic item once during the continuing education reporting period for up to a total of 6 hours. No credit shall be given for teaching that is required as part of one's employment. Credit may be granted in direct, indirect or non-ionizing radiation based on the topic; or   (5) developing and publishing a manuscript of at least 1,000 words in length related to radiologic technology with a limit of six contact hours of credit during a continuing education period. Upon audit by the department the MRT must submit a letter from the publisher indicating acceptance of the manuscript for publication or a copy of the published work. The date of publication will determine the continuing education period for which credit will be granted. Credit may be granted in direct, indirect or non-ionizing radiation based on the topic. (e) Reporting of continuing education. A technologist may request an exemption as set out in subsection (i) of this section or may submit a copy of the technologist's current and active annual registration or credential card indicating that the technologist is in good standing and not on probation in accordance with subsection (a)(6) of this section, with a signed statement that the technologist completed during the MRT's biennial renewal period at least 50% of the required number of hours of continuing education directly related to the performance of a procedure utilizing ionizing radiation for medical purposes and that no more than 21 hours for MRTs and 9 hours for LMRTs of the required number of hours shall be verifiable independent self-study activities.   (1) At the time of renewal or at other times determined by the department, the department will select a random sample of technologists to verify compliance with the continuing education requirements. The technologists selected in the random sample shall submit at the time of renewal or within 30 days following notification from the department:     (A) documentation of participation in and completion of continuing education acceptable to the department; and     (B) any additional information or documentation deemed necessary by the department to verify the technologist's compliance with the continuing education requirements.   (2) The department shall notify the technologist of the results of the verification process. (f) Determination of contact hour credits. The department shall credit continuing education experiences and activities as follows.   (1) Semester hour or quarter hour credits as set in subsection (c)(1) of this section shall be credited on the basis of 15 contact hour credits for each semester hour and 10 contact hour credits for each quarter hour successfully completed with a grade of "C" or better, evidenced by an official transcript.   (2) Activities or experiences as set out in subsection (c)(2) and (3) of this section shall be credited on a one-for-one basis with one contact hour credit for each contact hour of attendance and participation. Credit will be accepted only in whole hour or half-hour increments. Minutes in excess of whole or half-hour increments shall not be aggregated for additional credit. (g) Activities unacceptable as continuing education. The department shall not grant credit for:   (1) education incidental to the regular professional activities of an MRT, LMRT or NCT such as learning from experience or research;   (2) organizational activity such as serving on committees or councils or as an officer in a professional association, society, or other organization;   (3) any activities completed before or after the two-year continuing education period for which the credit is submitted;   (4) verifiable independent study activities which have no post-test or other measurement or evaluation instrument provided;   (5) verifiable independent study activities as set out in subsection (a)(5) of this section which exceed 50% of the clock hour requirements;   (6) learning activities indirectly related to radiologic technology as set out in subsection (b)(3) of this section which exceed 50% of the contact hour requirements;   (7) learning activities which are related to non-ionizing forms of radiation as set out in subsection (b)(2) of this section which exceed 50% of the contact hour requirements;   (8) any activities or experiences which do not meet the criteria set out in subsections (a), (b), (c) or (d) of this section;   (9) activities in accordance with subsection (d)(1) and (2) of this section which are repeated during the renewal period;   (10) activities in accordance with subsection (d)(4) of this section in excess of the one-time credit per topic of instruction or in excess of a total of 6 contact hours during a continuing education period;   (11) activities in accordance with subsection (d)(5) of this section in excess of 6 contact hours during a continuing education period; or   (12) activities that are an employment requirement or concerning specific institutional policies and procedures. (h) Failure to complete the required continuing education. A person may renew late under §140.510(f) of this title (relating to Certificate Issuance, Renewals, and Late Renewals) after all the continuing education requirements have been met. (i) Exemptions. The department will consider granting an exemption from the continuing education requirement on a case-by-case basis if:   (1) a technologist completes and forwards to the department a sworn affidavit indicating retirement status for the entire renewal period for which the exemption is requested. A technologist who has been granted this exemption and who desires to resume performing radiologic procedures shall be required to accrue continuing education hours. These hours shall be accrued immediately following the technologist's return to performing radiologic procedures to satisfy the continuing education requirements for renewal in accordance with subsection (a) of this section; Cont'd...